Banta Book Group

Google’s Jim Gerber to Keynote 2007 Book Business Conference
March 2, 2007

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Book Business magazine proudly announces Google’s Jim Gerber as keynote speaker for the upcoming 2007 Book Business Conference and Expo, scheduled for March 5-7, 2007, at the New York Marriott Marquis, Times Square. Gerber, director of content partnerships at Google, will present the Keynote Address on Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at 9:15 a.m. The Keynote Address is open to all registered attendees. “We are thrilled to have Jim give the keynote address at the Book Business Conference and Expo. There are few companies that have as profound an influence on publishing today as Google, so it’s a major boon for our audience of

Book Business Conference‘Strikes Chord’ With Publishing Executives
May 1, 2006

Not even a George Clooney sighting could disrupt the 2006 Book Business Conference and Expo, which took place March 20-22 at the Hilton New York. The celebrity was filming his latest picture just feet away from the conference’s registration area and—predictably—attracted all sorts of ogling from attendees and passers-by, but it was the conference and expo that were the stars of the week. Much like the industry it serves, the conference found itself in an unprecedented state of evolution when it kicked off on Monday, March 20. In its 10th year and amid revolutionary changes in the world of book publishing, this year’s conference

45 Tips for Sourcing Work Overseas
December 1, 2005

As publishers continuously seek to cut costs, many are exploring sourcing work overseas—from manufacturing to content management services, among other tasks. If you're considering this, arm yourself with the information you need to evaluate potential partners and determine whether an overseas partnership will work for you. BookTech Magazine asked industry experts with experience in evaluating offshore partners and working overseas in different capacities to share their tips: Determining if offshoring is right for you. To determine whether you will benefit from manufacturing offshore, consider: 1 If you're publishing one-color trade paperbacks or four-color jobs that can run on a U.S. web press, stay

45 Tips for Sourcing Work Overseas
December 1, 2005

As publishers continuously seek to cut costs, many are exploring sourcing work overseas—from manufacturing to content management services, among other tasks. If you're considering this, arm yourself with the information you need to evaluate potential partners and determine whether an overseas partnership will work for you. BookTech Magazine asked industry experts with experience in evaluating offshore partners and working overseas in different capacities to share their tips: Determining if offshoring is right for you To determine whether you will benefit from manufacturing offshore, consider: 1 If you're publishing one-color trade paperbacks or four-color jobs that can run on a U.S. web press, stay

Global Sourcing and Piracy
September 1, 2005

No region in the world is safe from piracy. That's the conclusion of Patricia Judd, executive director of international copyright enforcement and trade policy at the Association of American Publishers (AAP) in Washington, D.C. "Piracy is a worldwide phenomenon," Judd says. The AAP estimates losses to its members of more than $600 million a year in about 67 markets across the globe. As more book publishers explore their offshore book manufacturing options, foreign book manufacturers are boosting efforts to lure American publishers. It's all in the name of lowering costs. But does this offshore manufacturing activity put publishers at an increased risk of

Buyers Guide for CD/DVD Reproduction Services
April 1, 2005

5 Tips for Buying CD/DVD Reproduction Services The following tips—provided by Todd Grant, chief executive officer of New Territories, a supply chain solutions provider—are important to consider before embarking on your next (or first) CD or DVD project. 1 Keep the audience in mind when determining which file format is best for your book. Text files convert easily and accurately to PDF, but XML is more robust and flexible. Your choice of format will definitely depend on how the electronic content will be used.   2 Consider the purpose of the content. Some publishers provide searchable text files of books on CD or

There's Growth in Them There Stacks
February 1, 2005

Book publishers are keeping their fingers crossed that 2005 will be the year the industry shakes off the period of stagnation that has coincided with the U.S. economic downturn. The domestic market continued to remain essentially flat in 2004, but industry insiders are hopeful that the market will soon show growth. The shift toward more flexible production schedules, and resurgence in educational and reference titles will likely be the engines that drive any industry upswing. Another trend in 2005 will be publishers aiming to enhance profitability by leveraging the cost benefits of digital printing and international sourcing. Setting the Stage for Growth

Midway to the Digital Age
December 1, 2004

The prep department in this plant (in Menasha, Wisc.) has been in operation almost 60 years, so a lot of history precedes us, and the transition from conventional to digital was not without its pain and discomfort—it did not happen overnight. We began the transition in the late '80s, but with the vast technological challenges we encountered in linking the old with the new, we couldn't take digital workflow seriously until the early '90s. There were primarily two workflows at that time—supplied film and Opticopy camera imposition for converting laser pages into plate-ready imposed film. We were "tinkering" with single-page film (output on a

Offshoring and the Global Marketplace
October 1, 2004

Offshoring has taken on new meaning in recent years. The Web, electronic file transfer, advancements in foreign technology and faster, better ways to communicate globally have all stirred the waters of opportunity for tapping the American marketplace from overseas. A global marketplace has swelled beyond what many expected. For some, this means greater opportunity, savings and growth. For others, it means the promise of more jobless Americans, more abandoned factories, more unfair labor competition. For many book publishers, specifically, it means more options for manufacturing books cost-effectively. It means new options for digital content creation, design and editorial. It means increased profitability, growth

CTP Opinions
January 1, 1999

CTP Opinions In four-color CTP, digital file preparation is more complicated and time-consuming; scanning, image editing, trapping and other prepress functions require more capable (and expensive) systems as well as highly-skilled prepress operators.-- --Frank Ervin, vice president of training and technology at Phoenix Color The biggest ad-vantage of CTP--better print quality--is most dramatic with four-color. --Steve Franzino, who is vice president of technology, Courier Corp "A black-and-white book typically is about 100 MB. A four-color book of the same page size is typically about 4 GB." --Craig Bauer, facilitator of information technology and digital prepress, R.R. Donnelley Roanoke A switch to a CTP